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North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) 2011: part 2

North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) 2011: part 2

This Vertigo singlespeed 'cross bike is designed around linear-pull rim brakes with no rear cantilever hanger.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Lots of builders at NAHBS had their own solutions on how to split the seat stay for a belt but few were cleaner looking that this setup from Vertigo - a design originally developed by Dave Levy of Ti Cycles. A bolt is fed in from the bottom and tightens the two tubes over an alignment cone. Brilliant and beautiful.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The tapered seat tube top on this Vertigo frame blends elegantly into the Moots seatpost.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

This Vertigo titanium singlespeed frame was also fitted with a trick rear skewer of the company's own design, featuring built-in tension adjusters.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo's Sean Chaney came up with the idea of plugging a tapered steerer into a 44mm-bore head tube so it's no surprise to see one here.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

This Vertigo 'Dr. Jon' looks to be a beast of a 29" titanium hardtail - and we mean that in a good way.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

If the image of B.A. Baracus doesn't conjure the idea of toughness, then we don't know what does.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo includes its own take on 'HTFU' on the top tube of this custom bike. Squint just right and you can almost hear Mr. T yelling.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Offsetting the seat tube at the bottom bracket on this Vertigo titanium frame allows for shorter chain stays just like a curved seat tube.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo adds another short section of titanium to reinforce the bottom bracket area.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

This Vertigo Cycles 29" titanium hardtail looks to have just the right amount of curves.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The 44mm-bore head tube on this Vertigo Cycles allows for a tapered steerer tube to fit with the new Chris King headset. But wait, where's that hydraulic fitting going?

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo Cycles principal Sean Chaney fed a titanium hydraulic tube all the way through the frame, starting at the front of the down tube and finishing back on the chain stay.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The curved seat stays are a nice touch on this Vertigo titanium hardtail.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Gates' new Centertrack belt was found on several bikes at NAHBS, including this Vertigo 'cross singlespeed.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo Cycles principal Sean Chaney says this titanium plate-style chain stay section is the best way to get all the tire and chainring clearance he was looking for.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Cannondale historically has gone up against a lot of resistance in the bike industry for its forward thinking but smaller builders like the ones at NAHBS are far more embracing of non-standard designs. There were lots of Hollowgram cranks spotted on the show floor including on this Vertigo Cycles titanium bike.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The curved seat stays are a nice touch on this Vertigo titanium hardtail.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Gates' new Centertrack belt was found on several bikes at NAHBS, including this Vertigo 'cross singlespeed.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo Cycles principal Sean Chaney says this titanium plate-style chain stay section is the best way to get all the tire and chainring clearance he was looking for.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Cannondale historically has gone up against a lot of resistance in the bike industry for its forward thinking but smaller builders like the ones at NAHBS are far more embracing of non-standard designs. There were lots of Hollowgram cranks spotted on the show floor including on this Vertigo Cycles titanium bike.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo showed off this beautiful titanium town bike.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The rear rack on this Vertigo townie doesn't seem to serve much purpose aside from holding the mini U-lock in the dedicated cradle.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Oh, but wait - hidden inside the Vertigo townie's rear rack are three LEDs. The wire runs through the fender.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo Cycles' Sean Chaney discovered the stock bracket for his child trailer didn't fit on socketed dropouts - so he milled his own out of a block of aluminum.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The front end of this Vertigo townie gets a lift courtesy of a head tube extension and a tall stem.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Naturally, the front rack on this Vertigo townie is titanium, too.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

No surprises here - small builders at NAHBS have quickly jumped at the opportunity to equip their 'cross bikes with disc brakes front and rear.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

44mm-diameter head tubes were widespread at NAHBS such as on the front end of this Eriksen 'cross bike. Once solely used for zero stack fitments on straight 1 1/8" forks, new headsets from Cane Creek and now Chris King also allow for tapered forks to fit, too.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

As always, Kent Eriksen's welds are impeccable as seen on this 'cross bike.

Quiring was one of few titanium builders at NAHBS to use a proper BB30 bottom bracket shell.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

NAHBS could easily have been called the "Paragon Machine Works Show" judging by how often its bits were seen on frames like this Quiring titanium hardtail.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Michigan-based Quiring Cycles offers titanium head tubes in a wide range of sizes, including standard 1 1/8", 44mm for straight or tapered steerers (or even 1.5"), and also Lefty-specific ones with integrated bearings.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Quiring showed off this bright titanium full-suspension bike using a Ventana rear end.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots showed off its new Mooto X RSL titanium 29er at this year's NAHBS.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The 44mm-diameter head tube as seen on this Moots frame allows for bigger down tubes and top tubes for extra front-end rigidity but also the use of either straight 1 1/8" or tapered steerers depending on which lower headset cup is used.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots uses wishbone-style seat stays for its new Mooto X RSL.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots includes a PressFit 30 bottom bracket in its new Mooto X RSL titanium 29er.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots showed off its Mooto X in full-blown 'adventure' form.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Check out the sculpted titanium headset spacer on this Moots.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots' long-running YBB pivotless rear suspension still provides the same benefits as it did years ago.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The Moots Vamoots RSL is the company's lightest road frame.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Pencil-thin seat stays are included on Moots' Vamoots RSL.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Naturally, Moots fits the Vamoots RSL with its own Open Road titanium stem.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots milled out the dropouts on the Vamoots RSL to shave a few extra grams.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots offers optional stem faceplates for mounting a front light.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Arizona-based Form Cycles built this sleek 29" titanium hardtail with butted tubing and an oversized 44mm head tube.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

This is one trend that will be here for a while: 44mm-bore (more commonly known as zero stack) head tube now accept a wide range of steerer sizes including tapered as seen on this Form Cycles hardtail.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Form Cycles used 5/8"-diameter seat stays and 3/4"-diameter chain stays on this titanium hardtail.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Another hot trend at this year's NAHBS were adventure bikes, or 'monster crossers' - otherwise known as highly versatile rigs with drop bars, 29" wheels and fat tires.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

S&S couplers on this Form Cycles titanium bike allow for easier traveling.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Form Cycles also works with aluminum, steel, and now stainless steel such as on this ultralight Revel road bike with its sub-14lb claimed weight.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Once again, the 44mm head tube. Form Cycles pairs it here with a straight 1 1/8" fork.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Stainless steel's inherent corrosion resistance allows Form Cycles to leave the back end raw.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Extended seat tubes as seen on this Form Cycles road bike seem to be gaining in popularity.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Funk Cycles' lightweight La Ruta full-suspension design has undergone multiple changes since it was first introduced several years ago.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Yep, you guessed it - another 44mm head tube.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Daryl Funk says his suspension design is stiff enough without an additional swing link but even so, his next move is to box in the forward shock mounts to eliminate flex in that area.

This Vertigo singlespeed 'cross bike is designed around linear-pull rim brakes with no rear cantilever hanger.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Lots of builders at NAHBS had their own solutions on how to split the seat stay for a belt but few were cleaner looking that this setup from Vertigo - a design originally developed by Dave Levy of Ti Cycles. A bolt is fed in from the bottom and tightens the two tubes over an alignment cone. Brilliant and beautiful.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The tapered seat tube top on this Vertigo frame blends elegantly into the Moots seatpost.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

This Vertigo titanium singlespeed frame was also fitted with a trick rear skewer of the company's own design, featuring built-in tension adjusters.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo's Sean Chaney came up with the idea of plugging a tapered steerer into a 44mm-bore head tube so it's no surprise to see one here.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

This Vertigo 'Dr. Jon' looks to be a beast of a 29" titanium hardtail - and we mean that in a good way.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

If the image of B.A. Baracus doesn't conjure the idea of toughness, then we don't know what does.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo includes its own take on 'HTFU' on the top tube of this custom bike. Squint just right and you can almost hear Mr. T yelling.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Offsetting the seat tube at the bottom bracket on this Vertigo titanium frame allows for shorter chain stays just like a curved seat tube.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo adds another short section of titanium to reinforce the bottom bracket area.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

This Vertigo Cycles 29" titanium hardtail looks to have just the right amount of curves.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The 44mm-bore head tube on this Vertigo Cycles allows for a tapered steerer tube to fit with the new Chris King headset. But wait, where's that hydraulic fitting going?

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo Cycles principal Sean Chaney fed a titanium hydraulic tube all the way through the frame, starting at the front of the down tube and finishing back on the chain stay.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The curved seat stays are a nice touch on this Vertigo titanium hardtail.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Gates' new Centertrack belt was found on several bikes at NAHBS, including this Vertigo 'cross singlespeed.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo Cycles principal Sean Chaney says this titanium plate-style chain stay section is the best way to get all the tire and chainring clearance he was looking for.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Cannondale historically has gone up against a lot of resistance in the bike industry for its forward thinking but smaller builders like the ones at NAHBS are far more embracing of non-standard designs. There were lots of Hollowgram cranks spotted on the show floor including on this Vertigo Cycles titanium bike.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The curved seat stays are a nice touch on this Vertigo titanium hardtail.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Gates' new Centertrack belt was found on several bikes at NAHBS, including this Vertigo 'cross singlespeed.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo Cycles principal Sean Chaney says this titanium plate-style chain stay section is the best way to get all the tire and chainring clearance he was looking for.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Cannondale historically has gone up against a lot of resistance in the bike industry for its forward thinking but smaller builders like the ones at NAHBS are far more embracing of non-standard designs. There were lots of Hollowgram cranks spotted on the show floor including on this Vertigo Cycles titanium bike.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo showed off this beautiful titanium town bike.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The rear rack on this Vertigo townie doesn't seem to serve much purpose aside from holding the mini U-lock in the dedicated cradle.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Oh, but wait - hidden inside the Vertigo townie's rear rack are three LEDs. The wire runs through the fender.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Vertigo Cycles' Sean Chaney discovered the stock bracket for his child trailer didn't fit on socketed dropouts - so he milled his own out of a block of aluminum.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The front end of this Vertigo townie gets a lift courtesy of a head tube extension and a tall stem.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Naturally, the front rack on this Vertigo townie is titanium, too.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

No surprises here - small builders at NAHBS have quickly jumped at the opportunity to equip their 'cross bikes with disc brakes front and rear.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

44mm-diameter head tubes were widespread at NAHBS such as on the front end of this Eriksen 'cross bike. Once solely used for zero stack fitments on straight 1 1/8" forks, new headsets from Cane Creek and now Chris King also allow for tapered forks to fit, too.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

As always, Kent Eriksen's welds are impeccable as seen on this 'cross bike.

Quiring was one of few titanium builders at NAHBS to use a proper BB30 bottom bracket shell.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

NAHBS could easily have been called the "Paragon Machine Works Show" judging by how often its bits were seen on frames like this Quiring titanium hardtail.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Michigan-based Quiring Cycles offers titanium head tubes in a wide range of sizes, including standard 1 1/8", 44mm for straight or tapered steerers (or even 1.5"), and also Lefty-specific ones with integrated bearings.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Quiring showed off this bright titanium full-suspension bike using a Ventana rear end.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots showed off its new Mooto X RSL titanium 29er at this year's NAHBS.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The 44mm-diameter head tube as seen on this Moots frame allows for bigger down tubes and top tubes for extra front-end rigidity but also the use of either straight 1 1/8" or tapered steerers depending on which lower headset cup is used.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots uses wishbone-style seat stays for its new Mooto X RSL.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots includes a PressFit 30 bottom bracket in its new Mooto X RSL titanium 29er.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots showed off its Mooto X in full-blown 'adventure' form.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Check out the sculpted titanium headset spacer on this Moots.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots' long-running YBB pivotless rear suspension still provides the same benefits as it did years ago.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

The Moots Vamoots RSL is the company's lightest road frame.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Pencil-thin seat stays are included on Moots' Vamoots RSL.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Naturally, Moots fits the Vamoots RSL with its own Open Road titanium stem.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots milled out the dropouts on the Vamoots RSL to shave a few extra grams.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Moots offers optional stem faceplates for mounting a front light.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Arizona-based Form Cycles built this sleek 29" titanium hardtail with butted tubing and an oversized 44mm head tube.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

This is one trend that will be here for a while: 44mm-bore (more commonly known as zero stack) head tube now accept a wide range of steerer sizes including tapered as seen on this Form Cycles hardtail.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Form Cycles used 5/8"-diameter seat stays and 3/4"-diameter chain stays on this titanium hardtail.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Another hot trend at this year's NAHBS were adventure bikes, or 'monster crossers' - otherwise known as highly versatile rigs with drop bars, 29" wheels and fat tires.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

S&S couplers on this Form Cycles titanium bike allow for easier traveling.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Form Cycles also works with aluminum, steel, and now stainless steel such as on this ultralight Revel road bike with its sub-14lb claimed weight.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Once again, the 44mm head tube. Form Cycles pairs it here with a straight 1 1/8" fork.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Stainless steel's inherent corrosion resistance allows Form Cycles to leave the back end raw.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Extended seat tubes as seen on this Form Cycles road bike seem to be gaining in popularity.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Funk Cycles' lightweight La Ruta full-suspension design has undergone multiple changes since it was first introduced several years ago.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Yep, you guessed it - another 44mm head tube.

James Huang/BikeRadar.com

Daryl Funk says his suspension design is stiff enough without an additional swing link but even so, his next move is to box in the forward shock mounts to eliminate flex in that area.

You could be forgiven if Vertigo Cycles hasn't made it on to your short list of titanium bikes you'd like to own as the Portland, Oregon shop does no marketing and the one-man operation of Sean Chaney currently only builds frames for a few weeks a year. But judging by the quality and creativity of his work on display at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) this year, that's likely set to change.

Case in point is the belt-driven singlespeed 'cross bike with the cleanest – and virtually invisible – method of splitting a seat stay that we've seen using a design originally developed by Dave Levy of Ti Cycles. The two ends are butted against each other and kept in alignment via an internal cone and the single bolt that holds it all together feeds in from inside the socket-style dropout. Up top there's just the slightest chamfer cut into the top of the seat tube but it yields a beautifully subtle transition into the seatpost.

Vertigo 29er complete with motivational words

His 29" hardtail sports an offset seat tube for shorter chain stays plus some – ahem – motivational imagery and words etched in-house with a little baking soda solution and just the right voltage. Meanwhile, a second 29" hardtail on display is built with gracefully arced seat stays and the driveside chain stay comprises a thin plate just behind the bottom bracket for extra tire and chainring clearance on the BB30 shell. The internal routing is especially trick for the rear brake, which uses threaded fittings at the front of the down tube and back of the chain stay with a length of titanium hydraulic tubing welded in between.

Not to go unnoticed, either, was Chaney's titanium townie. The matching titanium front and rear racks were elegant enough on their own but Chaney also gutted an LED rear light and embedded the emitters themselves directly into the structure with the power wires being run through the fenders.

Save for the townie, the other bikes were all fitted with 44mm-bore head tubes and mixed-tapered headsets with 1 1/8"-to-1 1/2" steerers – no surprise there given that he was the man who came to Cane Creek with the idea more than a year ago.

If you're interested in a Vertigo, you'd best get in quickly – Chaney says he has but four slots remaining for this year's production.

Not surprisingly, small builders at NAHBS with their shorter build cycles and more flexible production were quick to jump on the new rules surrounding disc brakes on 'cross bikes with Kent Eriksen showing off a beautifully finished example in titanium. Though admittedly nothing groundbreaking what with its Ritchey WCS rigid carbon fiber mountain bike fork and Paragon rear dropouts, we still take this as yet another sign of things to come.

Eriksen also proved that despite all the focus on carbon fiber, titanium bikes still aren't heavy. His one-off ultralight show bike weighed just 5.85kg (12.9lb) though there was one major caveat: the oval-profile seat tube and integrated mast was non-adjustable for height.

As in years past, Eriksen continues to offer full-suspension titanium bikes with Ventana or Yeti rear ends. Options include – but aren't limited to – titanium seat stays and ISCG tabs, not to mention a variety of head tube fitments.

A wolf in sheep's clothing or vice versa?

Black Sheep's swoopy 36er

Fort Collins titanium specialists Black Sheep arrived in Austin with yet another array of wildly curved creations as builder James Bleakly seems almost averse to building with straight tubes.

Highlighting the range was his latest 36" with the giant wheels held together with a swoopy cruiser-style frame, his now-signature truss-style fork, and even a curved seatpost that neatly continues the arc of the seat tube. Are 36" wheels the next big thing? While we imagine they would roll over obstacles even easier than 29" ones, our guess is that these massive hoops will remain just a niche market.

Black Sheep also showed off a more conventional full-suspension design with a flex-plate located behind the bottom bracket shell and an aluminum link driving a Fox Racing Shox RP23 rear shock. Bleakly naturally went for suspension up front on this rig, too, via Cannondale's Lefty and 1 1/8" conversion kit.

Perhaps the best display of Black Sheep's creativity, though, was the titanium townie, which again used a curved cruiser-style frame but with a bolt-on rear end – presumably for easier packing and traveling – Bleakly's trick telescoping chain stays to adjust the belt tension, another truss fork, and titanium front and rear racks. Not a bad way to fetch your groceries.

Dean goes for a mix of carbon and titanium

Exogrid is back!

Fellow Colorado builder Dean continues to sing the praises of its new Exogrid road bikes, which are essentially titanium bikes with strategic sections of the tube walls removed and replaced with co-molded carbon fiber. As was the case with the old Titus bikes that first used the technology, the theory is that an Exogrid frame will provide the same resilient ride quality and springiness of a titanium frame but with less weight and more vibration damping.

Dean's approach uses a less aggressive machining pattern on the treated top tube, down tube, and seat stays but the visual appeal is no less striking.

Sitting on a nearby table was an unbuilt full-suspension design, using a similar pivotless short-travel configuration to the Black Sheep but with conventional tubular chain stays. Also, while Black Sheep's seat tube-mounted linkage is intended to help control the shock rate, Dean's link is solely used to stiffen up the rear end.

Michigan-based builder Scott Quiring's booth highlight was a 29" hardtail cross-country racer that borrowed two key components from Cannondale's feature set. The Lefty fork was found on other bikes at NAHBS but Quiring was one of few to use the matching dedicated head tube for maximal benefit, including the same large-diameter tube for generous weld surface area, directly pressed-in oversized bearings, and even Cannondale's ultralight one-piece stem and steerer.

PressFit 30-compatible bottom bracket shells were also common at NAHBS but Quiring continues to use proper BB30 shells, along with the tighter tolerances and machined-in grooves required to directly install the bearings into the frame.

Moots's Mooto X RSL offers a slimmed-down, race-ready 29er hardtail

Moots showed off their new Mooto X RSL titanium 29er at this year's NAHBS

According to Moots' Jon Cariveau, the company could have built their lighter-weight Mooto X RSL 29er titanium hardtail with butted tubing to save even more weight but opted for more durable straight-gauge tubing for its greater impact resistance. Moots did go with thinner walls and larger diameter tubing relative to the standard Mooto X, though, plus a PressFit 30 bottom bracket and 44mm-bore oversized head tube for front-end strength and good steerer tube versatility.

The company also showed off their own interpretation of the monster cross genre with an 'adventure' build of its Mooto X YBB. The go-anywhere, do-anything bike used a standard Mooto X YBB frame – complete with Moots' trademark softail rear end – but matched to flared drop bars, heavily loaded front and rear racks, a rigid carbon fork, a Brooks leather saddle and handlebar tape, a full-length frame pump, and a SRAM X0 2x10 drivetrain paired with Force DoubleTap levers.

Form offers its own take on the 29" titanium hardtail racer

Form's Titanium Viaje

Arizona-based Form Cycles brought a wide range of machines to NAHBS though its Prevail Ti 29er hardtail was perhaps the most interesting. Seeking to shave as much weight as possible, Form went with double-butted tubing, 5/8"-diameter seat stays and 3/4" chain stays, and a 44mm-bore head tube filled out with a tapered-steerer RockShox Reba fork.

Further building on the monster cross trend at NAHBS was the Titanium Viaje, finished off with S&S couplers, a Niner carbon fork, flared drop bars, and an Old Man Mountain rear rack.

La Ruta gets Funky

Funk Cycles' lightweight La Ruta full-suspension design has undergone multiple changes since it was first introduced several years ago

Daryl Funk's novel La Ruta full-suspension titanium frame carries on into 2011 with several years of refinement under its belt. Funk designed the frame specifically for lightweight cross-country racing and as such features a flat titanium plate behind the chain stays in lieu of traditional pivots and a MacPherson strut-style configuration with no extra link at either the top tube or seat tube.

According to Funk, the current design is "stiff enough" though he still plans to box in the forward shock tabs to bolster what he sees is the main source of any lateral movement in the back end.

Ti Cycles carries the 69er torch

Ti Cycles' triangulated fork

Just when you thought mismatched wheel sizes were done for good, Ti Cycles showed off their own interpretation with a burly triangulated fork along with an unusual rear end treatment complete an extended top tube that's capped off just before coming into contact with the rear wheel.

The singlespeed setup allows for chain or belt drive use courtesy of a neatly split driveside chain stay and there's even an integrated seatmast to finish off the truly unique look.

Not to go unmentioned is long-time titanium builder Jim Kish, who has been working with the stubborn material since 1992. The California builder brought three bikes to the show: a fairly traditional 26" singlespeed hardtail with his own segmented rigid steel fork, Paragon sliding dropouts, and a titanium stem; a subtle 700c runabout with an internally geared rear hub, sparkling White Industries aluminum crank, Wound-Up carbon fiber fork, and Paul Components center-pull brakes; and even a 24" BMX cruiser.

Though perhaps lacking some of the flair of other titanium bikes at the show, Kish ultimately won the show judges over at the end of the day, taking home the prize for Best Titanium bike of NAHBS 2011.